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You may have asked yourself, what is a child psychologist? A child psychologist job description is focused on evaluating children who are experiencing emotional difficulties and providing a treatment plan. Rooted in counseling and psychological theories, a child psychologist is an expert on how to help children manage depression, mental illness and developmental challenges. When a child is exposed to an extreme tragedy, or is overwhelmed by overwhelming stress, a child psychologist is a skilled responder.

The job description for a child psychologist includes assessing the child to determine the problem, developing a therapeutic strategy, and meeting with the child in a therapeutic setting. In addition to working with children, a child psychologist's job includes education, guidance, and support for families. A child psychologist works with parents individually and in groups to teach parents proactive behavioral prevention strategies.

You may also be wondering how long do you have to go to school to be a child therapist? Academic preparation for a child psychologist includes an undergraduate and doctorate degree in psychology, along with significant experience. Each state requires varied certification, but national certification for psychologists and school counselors are also available. A strong growth in positions for child psychologists is projected between now and 2026.

Evaluation and Assessment

One of the most important aspects of a child psychologist is to diagnose the condition or issue that is impacting the emotional well-being of a child. When a child is referred to a child psychologist for treatment, the first order of business is an initial assessment of the patient. A variety of testing instruments are used to determine the needs of the potential condition of the child.

A child psychologist begins by meeting the child and having a conversation, to establish rapport. The most important role of a child psychologist is to meet the child at his level. This may involve role playing, drawing pictures, or the use of toys and props. Relating to the child through the use of play is an effective way to build trust and help the child feel comfortable opening up. Often, the child psychologist as received assessments from a school psychologist or counselor, indicating a need for further evaluation. Similarly, a physician may refer a child for treatment. Additional standardized tests may be used to ascertain conditions like learning disorders, social interaction weaknesses, or emotional issues. Other conditions measured by specialized psychological testing include intelligence, memory, attention span, behavioral conditions, and academic achievement. Common conditions include dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity disorder, depression, or social deficiencies.

Often, parents or caregivers are given a questionnaire to fill out, in advance of the appointment. This fills in important information that describes everyday behavior and observed strengths and weaknesses of the child. Sometimes, a child is given neuropsychological assessments to determine medical issues such as multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders, brain trauma, or cognitive impairment syndromes that may be impacting behavior and cognitive performance. If a medical cause is determined, a child psychologist will work collaboratively with a physician or team of physicians to create a treatment plan. A typical psychological assessment may take four to seven hours to complete. It may be conducted in several sessions, depending upon the needs and age of the child. Initial evaluation and assessment informs the child psychologist about potential conditions that need to be addressed. The next step is to develop a strategy for therapeutic intervention.

Intervention and Therapeutic Approaches

An important aspect of a child psychologist job description is to intervene when an emotional or behavioral issue is hindering the daily activities of a child. Often referred to as therapy, an intervention is designed to help children learn to cope, communicate, and become more emotionally expressive. When a child is depressed or has experienced a trauma of some kind, the main goal is to restore normalcy and boost self-esteem. Common issues that children seeking therapy have faced include: divorce, abuse, mental illness, death of a loved one, or exposure to substance addiction. Symptoms that commonly warrant intervention or therapy include: obsessive behavior, social isolation, poor diminished academic performance, anxiety, anger, sleep disorders, aggression or incontinence.

Part of a child psychologist job description is to diagnose the child and determine the appropriate approach to therapy. For example, if a child is having difficulty discussing a traumatic event, a child psychologist might play a word game that helps the child describe the feelings of a fictitious character that has gone through a similar event. The next step would be to urge the child to talk about how their own feelings might be similar or different than those of the play character. This helps the child feel more comfortable and normalizes the situation.

Similarly, a child psychologist could play a game of charades to encourage the child to act out their feelings. A child psychologist is keenly aware of the need to provide coping mechanisms for children that are experiencing frustration or worry. For example, blowing bubbles encourages the child to blow away their negative feelings. Art provide an avenue for the child to use creativity and with a hands-on project that showcases positive attributes of the child. A critical part of a child psychologist's job is to provide support and information for the parents of the impacted child. Often this involves reassuring parents about the benefit of therapy and helping them understand how the therapist is a partner in providing support to help the child. While intervention and therapy may seem scary to parents, a child psychologist helps parents understand that it is normal for a child to have emotional ups and downs and that therapy is a positive, healthy step. Parents who are involved with the therapeutic approach can use similar strategies at home, to reinforce the therapy.

Prevention and Parent Education

In addition to working directly with children, a child psychologist job description includes helping parents learn more about how to create a positive developmental environment at home. Parent management training is an effective tool used by child psychologists to teach parents and caregivers about behavioral change and appropriate discipline. Based on operant conditioning, parent management training focuses on providing encouraging feedback and rewards to entice children to continue positive behavior, when not in a therapeutic setting. If a child acts out or exhibits negative behavior while at home, parent management principles teach parents to ignore the behavior or use discipline that is non-invasive. This might involve removing the opportunity to play video games or sending a child to their room. Also known as the positive parenting program, a child psychologist teaches these principles to parents in individual counseling sessions or in a group therapy setting. Group sessions allow parents to build a support network and gain a better understanding of how behavioral issues are normal, rather than isolated. Parent education and involvement in the therapeutic process is key to advancing the well-being of the child.

Education and Preparation

You may be wondering how long do you have to go to school to be a child therapist? Your academic preparation begins with an undergraduate degree in child psychology. This four- to five-year program focuses on social and personality development, disabilities and abnormal child psychology, cognitive development, and child development elective. Typical course topics include: perceptual and cognitive development, adolescent psychology, development and interpersonal relationships, family systems and diversity, and global issues on children and youth in society. Most programs require field study or a research project to round out this degree program. Once you have graduated with an undergraduate degree in child psychology, you will pursue a doctorate in child psychology. Most doctoral programs are three to five years in length. This terminal degree will provide a strong foundation in cognitive and developmental psychology. Classes focus on social processes, child development, ethics, statistics, and research. A critical part of any child psychology doctoral program is research, teaching and practical experience. You will choose a research study that is specific to your interests and develop a dissertation paper on that topic. Many programs allow doctoral programs to teach introductory child development classes. Most importantly, you will spend time in a clinical setting, working with clients. Under the supervision of a faculty member, an internship is an ideal opportunity to hone your skills and receive critical feedback. This practical experience is usually one to two years, at the end of your program.

Obtaining National Certification

State standards for counselors vary, but there are national certifications that apply in most areas. For example, the National Board for Certified Counselors provides a National Certified Counselor (NCC) process. You can become certified if you graduate from an accredited program, provide evidence of passing specific course topics, have 100 hours of post-graduate supervision, and 3000 of work experience within a two year time period. You also need a passing score on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination. Some child psychologists choose to become certified by the National Association of School Psychologists. Requirements for this certification include completing curriculum focused on school psychology, supervised experience and 1,200 hours of field experience in school psychology. Finally, you will need to score a minimum of 147 on the Praxis School Psychologist test #5402. This test certifies that you have the knowledge base to be a professional school psychologist.

Work Environment and Work Settings

There are a variety of work environments for a child psychologist. The child psychologist job description provides insight into the type of work environment that you will encounter. For example, if you use your education and training to work as a school psychologist, you will work in a school counseling center. You may choose to open your own private practice. In this case, you will not only see patients, but manage the business aspects of your practice, too. This involves marketing, billing, staffing and general organizational tasks. You can expect to see between three to seven clients per day. You may also have family therapy appointments and group parenting sessions. Some child psychologists work in a hospital setting. In a hospital setting, you will help children who have experienced major trauma, or are referred to you by a physician for specific learning and behavioral disorders.

Child Counselor Pay

In 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that child counselor pay was a median, annual salary of $77,030 or $37.03 per hour. Pay varies based upon the type of work setting. Psychologists working in a government setting could earn as much as $97,740. States reporting the highest wages include: New Jersey, Hawaii, Alaska, California, and Oregon.

Job Outlook and Growth

You can expect significant growth in the job outlook for child psychologists. A 14-percent increase in available positions is expected between now and 2026. States with the largest demand for psychologists include California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

About the Author

Dr. Kelly Meier earned her doctorate from Minnesota State Mankato in Educational Leadership. She is the author and co-author of 12 books focusing on customer service, diversity and team building. She serves as a consultant for business, industry and educational organizations. Dr. Meier has written business articles and books for Talico, Inc, Dynateam Consulting, Inc. and Kinect Education Group.

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Kelly, Dr.. "What Are the Responsibilities & Duties of a Child Psychologist?" Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/responsibilities-duties-child-psychologist-13447.html. 13 August 2018.

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